AgriNovus Indiana

Pitchbook reports that of venture capital deals in 2024, roughly 30% of them were down rounds or flat, meaning their valuation of the companies either went backwards or were the same round to round. It’s a trend that will continue, so how can entrepreneurs break the cycle? Matt Tyner, managing partner of America’s most active venture capital firm – Elevate Ventures, joins today to make sense of what’s ahead and how innovators can succeed. He gets into:&nbsp;&nbsp;<ul><li>The current state of venture capital – and the criticality of taking a step back to understand where things sit today&nbsp;</li><li>Investors’ increased focus on profitability and not being able to cut your way to growth&nbsp;</li><li>Artificial intelligence as an enabler – not a vertical&nbsp;&nbsp;</li><li>Does the future include a shift to debt versus venture&nbsp;</li><li>The cost of innovation and the role of an investor in this era of venture capital&nbsp;</li><li>What the current conversation with portfolio companies looks like for Elevate Ventures&nbsp;</li><li>What Matt sees as emerging trends in agbioscience&nbsp;</li><li>The most important jobs to be done in the industry</li></ul>

Matt Tyner

Managing Partner, Elevate Ventures

Pitchbook reports that of venture capital deals in 2024, roughly 30% of them were down rounds or flat, meaning their valuation of the companies either went backwards or were the same round to round. It’s a trend that will continue, so how can entrepreneurs break the cycle? Matt Tyner, managing partner of America’s most active venture capital firm – Elevate Ventures, joins today to make sense of what’s ahead and how innovators can succeed.

350. Elevate Ventures’ Matt Tyner on the cost of innovation + the role of the investor in this next era of venture capital

This weekly podcast dives into agbioscience, where agriculture, life sciences and cutting-edge technology converge. Agbioscience is an in-depth conversation with leaders and entrepreneurs across food, animal health, plant science and agtech. This one-of-a-kind podcast offers updates on the latest advancements and future trends from those at the forefront of agbioscience innovation.

Agbioscience

Mitch Frazier and Cayla Chiddister recap February by reviewing his three big trends in agbioscience for 2025, big investment news for Ingredion, Liberation Labs, Corteva Catalyst and TerraForce and look ahead to big events in March - including Quadrant on March 12. Register here: https://agrinovusindiana.com/quadrant/ Learn more about the Indiana Ag Threats and Security Summit: https://agrinovusindiana.com/2025/02/11/indiana-ag-threats-security-summit/

Mitch Frazier and Cayla Chiddister recap February by reviewing his three big trends in agbioscience for 2025, big investment news for Ingredion, Liberation Labs, Corteva Catalyst and TerraForce and look ahead to big events in March - including Quadrant on March 12.

349. Mitch Frazier recaps February, 2025 trends + investment news from Ingredion, Liberation Labs, Corteva Catalyst and TerraForce

Mitch Frazier and Cayla Chiddister recap February by reviewing his three big trends in agbioscience for 2025, big investment news for Ingredion, Liberation Labs, Corteva Catalyst and TerraForce and look ahead to big events in March - including Quadrant on March 12. Register here: https://agrinovusindiana.com/quadrant/



Learn more about the Indiana Ag Threats and Security Summit: https://agrinovusindiana.com/2025/02/11/indiana-ag-threats-security-summit/

Agbioscience is the only economy that touches every person on the planet. Over the past four decades, we’ve seen massive transformation, innovation and acceleration of output in this economy. Today we are joined by a leader who has had a front row seat to it all. Jay Hulbert, CEO of Ag Alumni Seed, joins us ahead of his retirement to talk:&nbsp;&nbsp;<ul><li>Seeing the world and the globalization of agriculture in his career&nbsp;</li><li>Biotechnology as a step-function change to revolutionizing the row crop world through improved genetics&nbsp;</li><li>His perspective on the future of gene editing in agriculture and what’s on the horizon&nbsp;</li><li>Jay’s support of entrepreneurs and the importance of their flexibility to make business models work long-term&nbsp;</li><li>His extensive background in specialty crop and some of the market intelligence that has paved the way for new products we see in produce today&nbsp;</li><li>The job that needs to be done as he sees it – or more like, the resources that likely need to be shifted toward climate resilient crops&nbsp;</li></ul>

Jay Hulbert

CEO, Ag Alumni Seed

Agbioscience is the only economy that touches every person on the planet. Over the past four decades, we’ve seen massive transformation, innovation and acceleration of output in this economy. Today we are joined by a leader who has had a front row seat to it all. Jay Hulbert, CEO of Ag Alumni Seed, joins us ahead of his retirement.

348. Ag Alumni Seed’s Jay Hulbert on biotechnology’s transformation in agbioscience + the industry's most important job to be done

348. Ag Alumni Seed’s Jay Hulbert on biotechnology’s transformation in agbioscience + the industry’s most important job to be done 

New data from USDA shares that net cash farm income decreased roughly 3.5% from 2023 into 2024 and we’re looking at inflation adjusted numbers. But here’s the piece of the silver lining that may be untold: that number – net cash farm income – is still above average when we look at the last 20 years from USDA data. This week, Natasha Cox, Senior Vice President of Farm Credit Mid-America, joins us to help make sense of the numbers, what it means to producers and to the broader agbioscience economy. We get into:&nbsp;&nbsp;<ul><li>The macro perspective on the health of farm balance sheets across the Midwest&nbsp;</li><li>Big trends that she’s looking at from a financial health standpoint of farms and agribusinesses&nbsp;</li><li>Consolidation – from both the farmer and innovator perspective – as a factor in the economic system of agriculture in the US&nbsp;</li><li>New investments being made on farm or within agribusinesses to better connect to the end market of food is health&nbsp;</li><li>Natasha’s perspective as a farmer and how she prioritizes where to place her bets for her operations&nbsp;</li><li>The criticality of surrounding yourself with good partners, knowing your options when it comes to strategic planning and investments and asking the right questions for your operations or business&nbsp;</li><li>The innovation she’s most excited about in 2025&nbsp;</li></ul>

Natasha Cox

Senior Vice President, Farm Credit Mid-America

New data from USDA shares that net cash farm income decreased roughly 3.5% from 2023 into 2024 and we’re looking at inflation adjusted numbers. But here’s the piece of the silver lining that may be untold: that number – net cash farm income – is still above average when we look at the last 20 years from USDA data. This week, Natasha Cox, Senior Vice President of Farm Credit Mid-America, joins us to help make sense of the numbers, what it means to producers and to the broader agbioscience economy.

347. Farm Credit Mid-America's Natasha Cox on the speed of change + prioritizing smart bets for innovators and farmers alike

The year 2025 is poised to be an interesting one for agbioscience. Venture capital inflows from 2023 to 2024 are roughly flat according to Crop Life, the production cost of corn and soybeans remains roughly in line or slightly below market price and the turbulence around global trade and what tariffs could mean leave an uncertain operating market for what could be ahead. Joining us today is Hoosier Ag Today president, Eric Pfeiffer, to make sense of what’s ahead. We get into:&nbsp;&nbsp; <ul><li>The current perspective of the farmer, their natural optimism and knowing the challenges that lie ahead for 2025.&nbsp;</li><li>Trends he’s noticing that are operational changes to drive net farm income – particularly biologicals – and why that’s challenging.&nbsp;</li><li>Property tax reform as a major topic in the Indiana General Assembly and making this issue relatable to the general public – because it does impact them at the end of the day.&nbsp;</li><li>The biofuels tax credit bill in the Indiana General Assembly and its potential economic impact and jobs to the state of Indiana (not to mention better burning, more sustainable fuel).&nbsp;</li><li>On a federal level – trade wars – and tariffs potential impact, good or bad, on farmers.&nbsp;</li><li>Farmers needing certainty on The Farm Bill to make plans for the future – it does not appear to be a priority at the moment.&nbsp;&nbsp;</li><li>Reason for optimism from farmers moving forward.&nbsp;</li></ul>

Eric Pfeiffer

President, Hoosier Ag Today & Michigan Ag Today

The year 2025 is poised to be an interesting one for agbioscience. Venture capital inflows from 2023 to 2024 are roughly flat according to Crop Life, the production cost of corn and soybeans remains roughly in line or slightly below market price and the turbulence around global trade and what tariffs could mean leave an uncertain operating market for what could be ahead. Joining us today is Hoosier Ag Today president, Eric Pfeiffer, to make sense of what’s ahead. 

346. Hoosier Ag Today’s Eric Pfeiffer on market turbulence, trade wars + the need for a Farm Bill to make plans for the future

Making a difference in the world – it’s nearly a universal desire for all of us. But where do you fit in? And how best to you make an impact? One college student is making that impact and blazing their trail. Cameron Weber, a biology major at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and a Field Atlas Ambassador, joins us today to talk their path to agbioscience, including:&nbsp;&nbsp; <ul><li>Talking to two kinds of people – those that grew up on the farm and those who stumbled into it and are happy they did. Cameron is in the latter&nbsp;&nbsp;</li><li>Wanting to originally be a doctor until getting connected with Field Atlas at a career fair and learning more about agbioscience.&nbsp;</li><li>Finding a new path and forging your way forward as a college student&nbsp;</li><li>Their six-month internship with Corteva Agriscience as a greenhouse assistant in Puerto Rico&nbsp;</li><li>Field Atlas Ambassadors – what do they do? And what has Cameron’s experience been like in their five semesters with the team?&nbsp;</li><li>Cameron’s advice for companies searching for young talent (hint: it’s not ping pong tables in the breakroom and pizza on Fridays)&nbsp;</li><li>Working on their thesis as they wrap up their time at Rose-Hulman&nbsp;&nbsp;</li><li>Cameron’s plans headed into graduation this spring – pssssss – they're currently looking for a job....&nbsp;&nbsp;</li></ul>

Cameron Weber

Field Atlas Ambassador, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

Making a difference in the world – it’s nearly a universal desire for all of us. But where do you fit in? And how best to you make an impact? One college student is making that impact and blazing their trail. Cameron Weber, a biology major at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and a Field Atlas Ambassador, joins us today to talk their path to agbioscience.

345. Stumbling into agbioscience, forging your path in college + what young talent wants with Field Atlas’ Cameron Weber  

As the first month of 2025 comes to a close, Mitch Frazier and Cayla Chiddister recap a few of the biggest stories in agbioscience, reasons for optimism on net cash farm income and tease a few upcoming episodes of Agbioscience.

As the first month of 2025 comes to a close, Mitch Frazier and Cayla Chiddister recap a few of the biggest stories in agbioscience, reasons for optimism on net cash farm income and tease a few upcoming episodes of Agbioscience.

344. AgriNovus' Mitch Frazier recaps January, big wins for Gripp + Croft, Velocity's launch + reasons for optimism in 2025

Much has changed in agbioscience over the last three decades. We’ve seen the introduction of gene editing technologies, new digital capabilities, even autonomy. One leader has had a front-row seat to these innovations. He’ll soon retire, but joins us today to share perspective on where we’ve been and where we’re headed. Dan Dawes, Senior Director of Strategy and Growth at AgriNovus joins us to talk about his career and the highlight reel of groundbreaking innovations in agbioscience. We get into:&nbsp;&nbsp; <ul><li>What has kept Dan in agbioscience all these years, his connectivity to the farm and wanting others to feel the same sense of reward that he did.&nbsp;&nbsp;</li><li>The macro perspective and many cycles of the agbioscience economy – it's down for now, but it’s never forever.&nbsp;</li><li>What innovations excited Dan the most throughout his decades long career; but also, which ones did he not see coming?&nbsp;</li><li>Indiana’s unfair advantage – its people.&nbsp;</li><li>Dan’s biggest lessons in leadership, giving those you’re leading a map to success and the criticality in finding joy in the work that you do.&nbsp;</li><li>Finding a mentor as a guide to growing in your career – and beyond – and an update on what’s ahead for Dan.&nbsp;</li></ul>

Dan Dawes

Senior Director of Growth + Strategy, AgriNovus

Much has changed in agbioscience over the last three decades. We’ve seen the introduction of gene editing technologies, new digital capabilities, even autonomy. One leader has had a front-row seat to these innovations. He’ll soon retire, but joins us today to share perspective on where we’ve been and where we’re headed. Dan Dawes, Senior Director of Strategy and Growth at AgriNovus joins us to talk about his career and the highlight reel of groundbreaking innovations in agbioscience. 

Recent Episodes

SEASON 7

349. Mitch Frazier recaps February, 2025 trends + investment news from Ingredion, Liberation Labs, Corteva Catalyst and TerraForce

348. Ag Alumni Seed’s Jay Hulbert on biotechnology’s transformation in agbioscience + the industry's most important job to be done

347. Farm Credit Mid-America's Natasha Cox on the speed of change + prioritizing smart bets for innovators and farmers alike

346. Hoosier Ag Today’s Eric Pfeiffer on market turbulence, trade wars + the need for a Farm Bill to make plans for the future

345. Stumbling into agbioscience, forging your path in college + what young talent wants with Field Atlas’ Cameron Weber

344. AgriNovus' Mitch Frazier recaps January, big wins for Gripp + Croft, Velocity's launch + reasons for optimism in 2025

343. AgriNovus’ Dan Dawes on Indiana’s unfair advantage, biggest lessons in leadership + reflections on agbioscience innovation

About The Show

Agbioscience

Mitch Frazier

CEO, AgriNovus Indiana